Dear Dad and Aoi
by Ah Hael
Summary: Natsume gets the chance to write his first letter home. Lots of sap and fluff. Might even give you cavities because it is so sweet. Manga spoiler alert.


Title: Dear Dad and Aoi

Author: Ah Hael

Genre: General, Fluff

Rating: K

Pairings: Mention of Natsume's feelings for Mikan

Spoilers: Multiple references to various parts in manga up to chapter 133. The story makes some pretty bold assumptions as to how the manga will end.

Summary: Natsume is told to write a letter home that a reliable source has told him will actually get there for the first time ever.

Disclaimer: It's mine I tell you! MIIINNNEEE! *men in white coats appear to drag the author off the computer. Several hours and an electroshock therapy session later* Gakuen Alice is in no part mine.

**INSTRUCTIONS!**

**INSTRUCTIONS!**

**INSTRUCTIONS!**

**There are instructions on how to read this story! **

**A part of this story actually takes place **_**while Natsume is writing it**_**! That means there are parts when he is thinking about what he is writing. There are also parts that he change his mind about what he wrote and will erase after he has written it. Therefore there instructions on how to properly read it. **

Normal text is the actual letter

_Parts in__italics are thoughts_

Parts that underlined are parts that were written in the letter, then erased later. I can't use this formatting to put a line through the writing so I will just have to settle for under it.

Ready? Here goes.

* * *

Dear Dad and Aoi,

I guess it comes as a surprise to be hearing from me huh? To be honest I have no idea if this letter is even going to get to you or if it will end up incinerated like the others. I did hear from a fairly reliable source -_if you can call Narumi a reliable source- _that this letter and package would get to you intact, so here goes.

_-God, now what do I say to them? They are my family! I can't… think… should I talk normally? Should I just write a letter like I would write to anyone else? _

_No. No, they would want to hear about everything from me and have it sound like me. I haven't talked to them in so long. Not since Aoi left and that was over a year and a half ago. A lot has happened to me since then. I gotta be careful what I say because I don't want to give the school an excuse to confiscate this. Okay, take a deep breath… in… out… just talk to them like I always talked to them. They are my family they should understand.-_

I don't really know where to start. There is so much I want to tell you. There are things I need to tell you and there are things I'm pretty sure I can't tell you. You used to be here dad; you probably remember what it was like.

_-Enough of that move on.-_

The package was not my idea. It was actually Polka-dot's -_Ack! I can't call her Polka-dots! Dad would want to know why and he would have a heart attack if he knew where I came up with that name!- _It was actually my friend Mikan's idea. It is kind of funny when I think about it because you have both met her before but under very different circumstances.

Aoi, you probably remember Mikan Sakura from when you were here. She was the one who helped you and ended up getting hurt. Dad, you might remember her better as Yuka Azumi and Izumi Yukihara's daughter. You got to meet her when she was first born. She looks a lot like her mother only prettier._ -No! Erase, erase, erase! Dad would tease me forever if he knew how much I liked her!-_ She looks a lot like her mother. _That's better. _Dad, don't ask how I know you were there when she was born, just take my word for it that I know.

_-Heh, Polka is still embarrassed that we all were there in the time stream to watch when she was born. Even now she flips out when someone mentions it. I don't know why she is so sensitive about it. I kinda liked watching the girl I really like being born. It was weird, but in a good way. It made me feel like I have a special secret that all of those loser fanboys of hers could never know.-_

The box is for you Aoi from Mikan. According to her, you absolutely MUST have a box of Howalon. Buriko, try not to be a pig and eat it all at once. You'll get sick.

The picture is one I took with all of my friends at the end of March just before I moved up to grade seven and began middle school. A lot had happened to us over the last year so we decided to have a picture taken all together and everyone got one. The picture has a record function, so when you play it back you will hear everyone saying their names including Mikan and Luka. I thought you might like it.

So, I'm in grade 7 in middle school now. But I guess you already figured that out. _Ugh that sounded stupid._ I'm kind of happy that I got to leave that place behind. -_That doesn't sound good, it will make dad worry.-_ I'm kind of happy to be leaving elementary. Other than my friends, I did not like it there much and the uniforms were dorky. The middle school uniforms are not much better, but at least they are not short pants with boots.

Speaking of the school, we have a new elementary school principal. You might be surprised to hear about that. I do not know how much you have heard, but we had a _–Jeeze, how do I describe this without getting into too much trouble? An uprising? No. An event? No. A commotion?- _a big commotion about a year ago that resulted in him being permanently removed from his post. We heard that it even made the news outside of the Academy.

Before you start worrying dad, I will tell you straight out now. Yes, Luka and I were a part of it, but not as much as Mikan was. Yes, we are all okay now. Look at the picture; you can see for yourself we are all in one piece. No, I can't tell you any more than that or else this letter might never be allowed get to you.

Things around here got a little crazy after that. Changes have started appearing all over the school now. Mostly for the better. You probably would not recognize this place from the one you grew up in. For example, the Dangerous Abiliites class and the Special Abilities class have been merged into one class. _-And I get to spend more time with Polka- _There is even talk of letting families visit the students (which I will get back to in a minute).

One of the strangest things that has happened is how everyone acts around Mikan now. Because Mikan was so close to the centre of that event, is the niece of Principal Yukihara, and a few other things, she has almost become a new school celebrity.

I remember when I first came here there were some jerks that got their underwear in a twist because I was made a special star right away and put in the Dangerous Ability class. Then Mikan came along and she was made my partner and given a no star ranking. People would often refer to her as my no star partner, but now that has all changed and I'm suddenly Mikan Sakura's special star partner. I don't know how that happened.

I remember how you used to say mom was the most popular girl in school, but I think Mikan might be more popular than her now. She is so popular now that she has this weird friend of hers Imai, which takes pictures of her and sells them to the students. Can you believe that? _–I still can't believe that Imai would only give me a fifty percent discount on the Mikan calendar she made. But the December picture that Imai managed to get with Mikan in her nightgown when her hair was down and she was brushing it was totally worth it.-_

Actually, there is one other thing she has become so famous in the Academy for and it is one of the reasons I've been allowed to send a letter to you.

Before I say anything more, I want to say don't worry I will be fine. I do not know if you and mom ever talked about this, or if you knew this before I left or not, but my alice is a fourth type like mom's and I've been sent to the Academy's hospital for treatment.

Dad, stop making that face. I know you are making that face and I told you to stop worrying. I am going to be stuck here on and off for another month or so, but I will be fine.

You see, that was the other reason why everyone adores Mikan so much. She has both her mother's and her father's alices. Somehow when she combines them, she is able to treat fourth type alices so they are not as harmful to the body. I'm already starting to feel better. The doctors will not let me use my alice yet, but I haven't coughed in days.

Persona's rot alice is no longer trying to kill him. __Whoa, stop. I better not mention Persona to Aoi. The guy may have changed for the better, but Aoi probably still has bad memories of him. It might scare her to talk about him. Talk about somebody else.- _

I have a sempai that has been in the hospital for almost as long as I have been at the school, but yesterday I saw him walking around the halls with his teddy bear, talking and having fun. It was really great to see. _–Except for the fact that Mikan was there and he was looking at her like she was heaven sent. I get that she saved his life because she saved mine too, but he better not be getting too attached. She is mine.-_

Anyway, the fact that we have the only person in the world that can successfully treat fourth type has suddenly made our school pretty popular with other countries. _ –Ironic, when you think that Mikan was so disappointed in her alice because she thought it would not be of use to anyone. Now there is a worldwide hunt for stealing and nullification alices.-_ I hear other countries have been trying to negotiate huge deals in order to get her to visit and treat their most valuable alices. _–I don't want her to go.-_ I heard the money they are offering is staggering. _–Why don't they bring their alices here? Someone might try to kidnap her if she left the campus to go to another country.-_

That brings me to the next reason I'm writing. Because of all the changes around here and her new found celebrity status, Mikan _–more like her greedy ambitious friend Imai-_ tried to negotiate with her uncle and the rest of the Academy administration to allow visits from families. At first, they flatly refused to allow all families to visit at once because of the increased security issues. In the end they did come to an agreement to let a limited number of families visit.

This year they will be allowing fifty families with no more than three members per family visit during the fall festival. Priority will be given to families of students in critical care or children under the age of five. The rest of the slots are going to be decided by lottery.

So that is the reason why I am writing. Because I'm considered critical care, I get one of the first available slots.

So, would you both want to come visit me during the fall festival? _–Please come. I really miss you guys so much.-_

I should warn you that security will be very tight. You might be treated like a convicted terrorist who is trying to visit a world summit. Mikan's friend Imai, has the invention alice and she has already begun constructing some sort of tags we all have to wear so the school can monitor our activities and whereabouts at all times.

Again I warn you because she has terrible taste in esthetics. We might all be stuck wearing giant frog head hats or beetle mandibles. _–I'll burn down her lab if she tries to take pictures.-_

It is June now, so you have to let me know as soon as possible. If you say yes, they are going to send you an information package that I don't doubt will be loaded with rules and restrictions for visiting here. _-I should really say something more.-_

I really miss you both. I hope I can see you in the fall.

Love,

Love, _-Stop acting like a baby and just say it Natsume!-_

Love,

Natsume

* * *

It was the usual morning ruckus in the dining hall. The sounds of students chattering mixed with the clatter of plates, bowls, and utensils. Natsume was in his usual spot next to his friend Luka. His treatments had been going so well that the medical staff agreed to treat him on a drop-in basis provided that he did not use his alice. He was perfectly okay with that restriction. As long as it gave him a chance to check out this new 'Mikan fan club' he had heard about.

Jeeze, she wasn't a pheromone alice to attract more fans, so where the hell were all of these creeps coming from?

He looked at the girl in question that was sitting across the breakfast table from him. She looked really cute today because she had styled her hair differently. It was not completely down like he would have wanted, but it was getting there. All of the hair above ear level had been pulled into a ribbon at the back of her head while the bottom hung loosely past her shoulders. Really, really cute. _Dammit, her fans better hope I don't catch them looking at her! I might not be allowed to burn them, but I can still kick their asses!_

It had been hard for him not to stare too much, but at least he did not turn tomato red and stutter like Luka did.

Natsume was tempted to shake his head. No matter how much his best friend tried to deny it. He was still not over his crush on Mikan. It should have bothered him that they both liked the same girl, but it didn't. Luka was the only guy that Natsume might not feel too bitter about losing Mikan to. Everyone else can just rot in hell.

The noise was interrupted by the usual mail call. Natsume only listened half-heartedly. It had been weeks since he had sent his letter and he still had no response. He might as well face it; his letter probably did not even make it past the campus gates. He tried to pretend that it did not bother him, but deep down it did. He had been secretly hoping that he would get to communicate with them just this once.

He was an idiot for getting his hopes up.

Trying not to let his disappointment show, he grabbed a slice of toast to shove into his mouth when the middle school dorm-bot called out "Natsume Hyuuga!" in its tinny synthetic voice.

It is not an exaggeration to say that all movement in the dining hall stopped and there was nothing but dead silence. All heads swiveled to look at him while he sat there with a piece of toast hovering just in front of his mouth.

With an unsteady hand he lowered his toast, and rose quietly. He could feel all the eyes watching him. Especially those of Luka and Mikan who he had no doubt were brimming with excitement as he gingerly took the colorful envelope. _Probably Aoi's girly taste in stationary, _He thought absently.

Unable to contain his anxiety any longer, he sped off to his room before anyone could say anything to him. Once inside he locked the door and hopped on his bed to look at the envelope. His father's neat script was instantly apparent and his heart started racing.

He rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants before he opened it. He could not help but feel really bad for tearing the pretty floral printed paper that his sister had picked out. She would understand, but it still felt weird.

Taking one last steadying breath, he opened the letter and read.

* * *

Dear Natsume,

We were so happy to hear from you.

I want you to know that I would dress in a whole frog costume and your sister a tadpole costume if it meant that we could see you. If they told me I had to dress up as a purple chicken and cluck in central town's main square for an hour, I would do it to see you. I love you Natsume, and seeing you would make me happy beyond words. Just tell th school to go ahead and send that information package to me right away, because we will follow any rule they want if we get to see you.

_Oh thank you god, they want to come. I did not realize how much I wanted them to come until now. My heart is beating so fast and I think I forgot to breathe._

I would love nothing more than to have all of us go to the festival together. I am really looking forward to it and your sister is almost bouncing off the walls because she is so excited. _That is so like her to be hyped up over something that is still a few months away._

I am also looking forward to meeting this girl you like. _I never once said I liked her!_

Now don't bother denying it Natsume. You spent almost half of your letter talking about her and as your father it is easy to tell. _I did not spend half of my letter talking about her! Wait… esh… okay maybe I did._ I think you mother would be really happy to know you are close to the daughter of her dearest friend. It would have meant a lot to her. In fact, if she were here I know she would have probably already have told you to look out for her and keep her out of trouble. Or something along those lines anyway. _I already do that anyway, but it is good to hear you say it._

I won't ask how you already know that your mother and I were there when she was born, but you should know that sort of makes us her godparents. So you better tell her that I don't care how popular she is with the boys, she had better save a dance for her godfather. That reminds me, you had better dance at least one dance with your sister too.

You should let Luka know that his mother, Mrs. Nogi, is breathing down my neck to be included as the third member of our 'family' so she can see him. _Yikes, I did not think of that. I'm sure Mikan would have loved to see her Ji-chan. She might have been grateful enough to let me sneak another kiss out of her. _

_Aw man, but dad has probably already agreed to let Mrs. Nogi go with them and Luka's mother is fanatical about her little 'Lu-chan'. She'd go bat-shit crazy if she lost out on a chance to see him. There is still a chance that Luka could win one of the lottery slots. If he does, I'll make sure Polka's grandfather comes. It would make a great surprise for her._

So Natsume, get better quickly, and don't go against the doctor's orders by using your alice during your treatment. You need to build up your strength because we will see you at the festival!

Lots of love,

Dad and Aoi

Owari

* * *

That was almost sweet enough to get cavities.

This idea had been lingering in my head for a long time. I kept rejecting the idea and then finally figured I would try writing to see what came out. The story almost wrote itself in just a few hours. Weird.


End file.
